Tortas De Aceite

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Tortas De Aceite
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 15 servings

1 c Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 Lemon peel
=2 inches by 1/2 inch
2 ts Anise seeds
2 ts Sesame seeds
1/2 c Dry white wine
1 ts Finely grated lemon peel
1 ts Finely grated orange peel
1/2 c Sugar
3 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1 tb Ground cinnamon
1/4 c Blanched; sliced almonds

Recipe by: The Cooking of Spain and Portugal
In a small saucepan or skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a
light haze forms above it. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the strip
of lemon peel and the anise and sesame seeds, and then set the oil aside to
cool to room temperature.
Discard the lemon peel and pour the oil and seeds into a large mixing
bowl. Stir in the wine, grated lemon peel and orange peel, and the sugar,
and mix until the sugar dissolves. Sift the flour and cinnamon into the
mixture, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring well after each addition.
When the dough becomes too stiff to stir easily with a spoon, knead in the
remaining flour with your hands. Gather the dough into a ball and let it
rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into about 15 equal
pieces. Pat and shape each piece into a flat cookie about 3 inches in
diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the cookies about 2 inches apart on an
ungreased baking sheet. Press 6 to 8 almond slices gently but firmly into
the top of each cookie and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25
minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are golden brown at the edges and
firm to the touch. Transfer them to a rack to cool. They may be kept up to
3 weeks in a covered jar.

"The Cooking of Spain and Portugal" from the Time-Life series "Foods of the
World".

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